Page 70 of The Doctor and the Devil
“It should be swift. Quick, clean kills. If we are to do this, it must be thorough—we must find everyone in their network. We should act when they are all together, otherwise word could travel and some of them might slink off to hide away in their little holes,” I said decisively.
Daphne’s eyes widened in surprise, but Charlotte grinned fiercely and patted my hand.
“Fortunately,mes amis,I happen to know exactly when that will be,” Charlotte said.
* * *
Over the next few weeks, we remained at Rafael’s home, falling into a kind of routine. Daphne, Rafael, Antoine, Marguerite, and Étienne began to sketch out a rough plan, while I worked with Charlotte and Laszlo in the evenings to connect with my new supernatural gifts. Laszlo helped me learn the basics of blocking out or shielding the persistent mental connection to others and taught me ways to focus that strength to mesmerize and control. The idea of controlling another person turned my stomach, but he said it was important for me to learn both the reach and limitations of my power.
Rafaeldidenjoy that day when we retired, and he allowed me to bend his mind to my will. Actually, we’d both enjoyed that rather thoroughly.
As the May days marched on and the nights warmed up, finally shaking off the long, cold spring thaw, we drew nearer to the evening we’d planned for our final mission with the Order. The mood in the house was thick with tension.
One evening, to escape Daphne’s incessant pacing and Antoine’s worrisome brooding, Charlotte and I went outside to the grounds above the castle for a bit of fresh air. We wandered through the secluded forest nearby and when we came to the edge of a clearing, she shucked her gown and tossed it to the side.
“Now,” she began. “The key to shifting forms is to find that place within yourself. It is your inner animal—your inner beast. You must call it forth. Allow your human shape to fall away. Do not fear the pain. It is uncomfortable, but brief.”
With that, she shifted into her wolf form, exploding in a blur of skin and fur and bones. When she was done, she tilted her head back for an unearthly, horrific howl. Then, she sat on her haunches and watched me expectantly.
“I don’t think I have an inner beast,” I said.
Charlotte growled and laid down.
You do too. Now, hurry up—I want to go for a run.
The benefit to my mental connection was being able to communicate with her when she was unable to speak.
“Very well,” I agreed, laughing. “I’ll summon forth my animal self—if only for the sake of science.”
I closed my eyes. I stilled my thoughts, allowing the rise and fall of my breath to calm the ever-present power simmering beneath my skin. I thought about werewolves and bats and demons—everything I’d seen in my work with supernatural creatures. I turned inward and searched. The deeper I went, the darker things became, as if I’d stepped into Rafael’s Underworld and found myself amongst the monsters. There, at the edge of my consciousness, knelt something…primal. I reached for it, stroked it, and imagined picking it up and throwing it over my shoulders like a cloak.
Pain exploded in my body. Wrenching, scraping, splitting, breaking, burning pain, and then just as suddenly as it started, it stopped. I stood, uncertain of what to expect. When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was Charlotte cowering, tail tucked between her legs.
Mina?She tentatively pushed against my consciousness.
That was incredibly unpleasant,I answered.
I looked down at my limbs and suddenly understood her fear. I hadn’t shifted into a wolf or a small bat—I’d shifted into the eight-foot-tall bat demon that Laszlo had turned into when he bit me. But that meant…
Yes!I rolled my shoulder muscles and felt them—massive leathery wings. I flexed them tentatively and spread them open, then took an experimental leap from the ground. I soared through the air.
Stop showing off,Charlotte challenged.Is that all you can do?
I landed back on the ground with a thud. Stilling my mind again, reaching for that inner place, I shifted once more. This time, the pain wasn’t quite so bad, but I heard myself howling when the transformation finished.
That’s more like it,Charlotte said, wagging her tail. I looked down and beheld giant paws tipped with long claws—a wolf form.
Hold on,I bid her.I want to try one more thing.
This time, when I centered myself, I went back to my inner darkness. I let go of my thoughts and expectations, focusing instead on that raw, primal power. As I neared it, I could sense the pulse of it; ancient, dark, patient. I extended my thoughts to it and let it take root.
No pain this time. Simply…quiet.I lost track of my physical sensations. When I came to my outer awareness again, Charlotte was calling for me.
Mina! Where have you gone?
I am here, I answered.
She turned to me, trying to track my scent on the wind.
